Whisky, liqueurs & Breton spirits

Eau-de-vie de cidre de Bretagne AOC

This high-proof cider eau-de-vie https://www.tourismebretagne.com/selon-mes-envies/gastronomie/les-boissons-bretonnes/cidre-et-jus-de-pomme/ (40% vol.) is obtained by distilling dry cider in a still (“ul lambig” in Breton). Also called Fine de Bretagne and lambig, it’s the Breton equivalent of Normandy’s Calvados. It must be aged in oak barrels for at least two years to earn its AOC, and ten years for vintage eaux-de-vie. This distinctive spirit, with its fruity nose and rounded mouthfeel, should be drunk at room temperature. It can also be used in the kitchen for flambéing meats and seafood.

The great names of Fine de Bretagne :

• Fine Bretagne AOC Gilles Leizour from the Warenghem  Distillery
• Lambig de Bretagne Hors d’âge from the Menhirs Distillery
• Lambig de Bretagne from the Manoir du Kinkiz, gold medal at the 2024 Paris General Agricultural Competition.
• La Fine Bretagne from the Grovel Distillery, in “Tradition” and “Hors d’Âge” versions.

Chouchen (or Chouchenn)

It’s one of the world’s oldest drinks and part of Brittany’s Celtic heritage. So what are the ingredients of this hydromel, a sort of “honey wine”? Water and honey, and usually no apple juice or cider, although a few producers used them in bygone days. This golden-hued alcoholic beverage (13% vol.) is generally drunk cold as an aperitif, with a dessert or as a digestive, even though each cuvee has its own aromatic identity depending on the honey(s) chosen and how and how long it’s matured.

The great names of Breton chouchen:

• Chouchen Melmor, a crafted mead, and its organic version “l’Héritage des Druides” from the Warenghem Distillery.
• The Cave du Dragon Rouge has made chouchen its speciality since 1960 and has been rewarded by numerous national and international distinctions.
• “Hydromelix”, flavoured naturally with apples, Plougastel strawberries, salted caramel and spices, from Maison Fisselier.

Breton whisky

No need to go to Scotland to enjoy a good whisky! Brittany has answered the call of Celtic tradition and produces whiskies of remarkable quality. The secrets of an outstanding Breton whisky? First-class ingredients, recognised knowhow, good hygrometric conditions enabling slow maturation and rigorous selection of barrels for ageing.

Breton whiskies and their distilleries:

• the first Breton whisky, created in 1998: Armorik whisky from the Warenghem Distillery
• Eddu whisky from the Menhirs Distillery: the world’s only whisky distilled entirely from buckwheat
• Kaerilis whisky, which benefits from the artisanal knowhow and the ideal weather conditions on Belle-Ile-en-Mer
• Old-fashioned whiskies from the Celtic Whisky Distillery
• Galaad whiskies from the La Mine d’Or Distillery

More and more Breton distilleries are using their imagination to come up with remarkable eaux-de-vie and spirits. In particular, many of them have set themselves to producing gins, starting with Malouin’s, the Gorvello Distillery, the Warenghem Distillery and Awen Nature.

Fédération du whisky de Bretagne